Bottle mountable pouch container

ABSTRACT

The disclosed invention relates to the packaging of envelopes or pouches of premeasured portions of condiments, mixes, and the like in cartons mountable on the necks of bottles. Specifically, the completed container of the invention includes an outer paperboard carton and an inner divider structure. The carton and divider are arranged to accommodate the insertion of a narrow neck of a bottle into the carton through an aperture in its bottom wall. The divider includes discrete elements which grippingly engage the inserted bottle neck. Both the divider and the carton may be quickly erected from flat folded form for filling with pouches and mounting on bottles intended for open display.

United States Patent 2,653,708 9/1953 Spalding 229/15 X 2,844,245 7/1958 Gruber et al 206/47 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,5 84 1905 Great Britain 229/89 Primary Examiner- Leonard Summer Attorney-Mandeville and Schweitzer ABSTRACT: The disclosed invention relates to the packaging of envelopes or pouches of premeasured portions of condiments, mixes, and the like in cartons mountable on the necks of bottles. Specifically, the completed container of the invention includes an outer paperboard carton and an inner divider structure. The carton and divider are arranged to accommodate the insertion of a narrow neck of a bottle into the carton through an aperture in its bottom wall. The divider includes discrete elements which grippingly engage the inserted bottle neck. Both the divider and the carton may be quickly erected from flat folded form for filling with pouches and mounting on bottles intended for open display.

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SHEET NF 3 INVENTOR GEORGE VRANA MWM ATTORNEYS BOTTLE MOUNTABLE POUCH CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the ever increasing use of moistureproof envelopes, pouches, and the like to package hygroscopic goods such as powdered drink mixes, gravies, salad dressings and the like, an ever expanding effort has been made to develop suitable containers for merchandizing the envelopes in multiple quantities. These efforts have resulted in the packaging of envelopes in multiples in conventional rectangular cartons. However, an acceptable container for packaging a plurality of envelopes in a manner in which they could be merchandized in conjunction with openly displayed well-known bottled products, e.g., liquors or salad oils, and the like, has not yet been successfully developed.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a new and improved paperboard container for a plurality of of the type described, which paperboard container is mountable upon and displayable with a bottle. Specifically, the container of the present invention includes an outer parallelpiped carton which includes a bottleneck accommodating aperture in the bottom wall thereof and which further includes a stabilizing bottle-engaging panel depending from the free edge of a sidewall panel thereof. A new and improved divider is inserted into the carton, which divider. includes two separate pouch holding compartments and a bottle-engaging platform therebetween. In addition, the lower walls of each of the pouch compartments have bottleneck-engaging contoured elements defined therein.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and more complete appreciation of its attendant advantages, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE-DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a paperboard blank from which the new and improved divider insert is formed;

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective, view showing multiple pouches, the new carton divider, the new carton, and a bottle upon which the new container is mounted;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of a bottle mounting the new container which is adhered to the bottle by means of a removable pressure-sensitive adhesive tape; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the new carton and insert of the invention in place on the bottleneck of a supporting bottle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to FIG. 2, the container of the invention comprises an outer, parallelpiped carton into which is inserted a divider 11 having a pair of compartments 47, 48 for holding a plurality of pouches P. The container assembly ofdivider 11 and carton ll) may be mounted upon the upper or neck end ofa bottle B, in a novel manner to be described.

The carton l0 resembles a standard parallelpiped carton and accordingly comprises a bottom wall 12, a front wall 13, a top wall 14, and a rear wall 15 which are consecutively articu- Iated along parallel score lines and which are formed into a carton tube by a glue flap 12a articulated to the edge of the bottom wall I2 and adhered to the lower edge portions of the rear wall 15. Conventional end flaps 9 and tuck close flaps 17 are articulated to the front, top, and bottom carton walls and are infoldable to close off the end of the carton 10. In accordance with the principles of the invention, the bottom carton wall 12 includes an aperture 16 which is specifically shaped to accommodate the cross section of the neck end of the bottle upon which the container is to be mounted and with which the container 10 is to be displayed. As shown in FIG. 2, the aperture 16 is generally circular and is adapted to be snug fitting with the lower neck portions of the bottle B. Additionally and in accordance with the principles of the invention, a container stabilization and attachment panel 19 is formed integrally with the carton wall 15. The panel 19 projects downwardly in the vertical plane of the carton rear wall 15 below the rear wall edge 15'. Advantageously, the stabilization and attachment panel 19 is generally tapered and presents a surface area at its apex which may be readily bridged by a strip of adhesive tape or other seal for subsequent tamper-resistant attachment of the container to the bottle B.

The new and improvedpouch-holding divider 11 of the invention is fabricated from a one-piece blank 20 (FIG. I) which comprises a glue flap 21, an apertured platform panel 22, a first partial divider wall panel 23, a bottom compartment wall 24, a sidewall panel 25, a top wall panel 26, a second sidewall panel 27, a second bottom wall panel 28, a full depth divider wall 29, a brace panel 30 and second partial divider wall 31. The panels 21-31 are consecutively articulated by parallel lines of weakness 324l. As shown in FIG. 2, generally elliptical apertures 42, 43 are formed between panels 28, 29 and 23, 24, and a upper bottleneck-engaging aperture 44is formed in the full width of the platform panel 22. As will be understood, the edges of all the apenures form contoured bearing surfaces through which the divider structure and carton are supported for display by the bottle.

The specific configuration of the apertures 42 44, as well as that of the aperture 16, may, of course, be varied to conform to the shape of the particular bottle which is to be employed in conjunction with' the carton of the invention. However, for efficiency in packaging economy of paperboard, the aperture 44, should extend across the platform 22. In any event, the divider 11 may be simply and efficiently erected from a flat folded divider tube which is formed by adhesively adhering backing panel 30 to the'underside of the top panel 26; glue flap 21 to the inner side of the'divider wall 29; and the free edge of divider panel 31 to the upper edge of the panel 23, as shown in FIG. 4. As will'be appreciated, the divider structure 11 shown in FIG. 2 may be collapsed into a flattened or collapsed tube in which the parallel score lines 38 and 3 6 are at the opposite extreme edges of the tube. By urging these tube edges 38, 36 towards one another, the tube may be quickly squared into the divider configuration shown in FIG. 2. Conversely, byurging the edged formed by score lines 37, 34 towards one another, the divider tube may be just as quickly collapsed,

To complete the container of the invention, the divider structure 11 is squared and inserted into the open end of the carton 10 as shown in FIG. 2. Thereafter, a plurality of pouches P are inserted in the two compartments 47, 48 formed by the erected divider. The carton is then closed and is associated with the bottle B by merely slipping the carton over the neck of the bottle until the bottle cap C is grippingly engaged by the aperture 44 in the platform panel 22. At this point, additionalsupport of the container is provided by the shoulder S which will support both the bottom wall 15 of the carton andthe contoured horizontal portions of the apertures 42, 43 which are disposed in the bottom divider walls 24, 28. As shown, the vertical portions of the apertures 42, 43 in the divider walls 29, 23, will engage the neck of the bottle as shown in FIG. 4. Suitable proportioning and shaping of the apertures 42, 43, 44, and 16 will enable the new carton, when loaded with pouches, to be mounted upon and to be securely supported with stability by the neck of a bottle. Nevertheless, in many instances it will be desirable and necessary to further stabilize and to make more tamper-resistant the relationship of the carton to the bottle. To that end, the depending flap panel 19 engages a surface of the bottle B and it may be adhered directly thereto by adhesive or by an adhesive tape 45, as shown in FIG. 4.

It should be understood that the specific container of the invention herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. For example, the shape and disposition of the apertures and their bottle-engaging contours will be determined, in a large measure, by the shape of the bottle which is to mount the container. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A self-contained, removable two-piece pouch-holding package adapted to be mounted upon a bottleneck or the like comprising a paperboard carton structure and a paperboard divider structure in which,

a. said carton structure includes six panels connected together to define a parallelpiped carton having a front wall, a rear wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and two end walls;

b. said bottom wall defining an aperture therein which is accommodative of the passage therethrough of the uppermost portions of said bottle neck or the like;

. said divider structure being inserted in said carton and including at least two compartment bottom wall panels articulated to two divider wall panels, and a platform panel between said divider wall panels;

d. said platform panel defining an aperture therein in alignment with said aperture in said bottom wall and being of predetermined size and configuration to engage grippingly the uppermost portions of said bottleneck or the like; and

. said divider wall panels forming interior compartment walls and being adapted to straddle said bottleneck or the like.

. The package of claim 1, in which said carton further includes a stabilization panel depending from one of its walls.

3. The package of claim 2, in which a. said stabilization panel depends from said rear wall and is of generally tapered configuration.

can

4. The package of claim 1, in which a. said divider wall panels and said compartment bottom wall panels define apertures at their junctures; and

b. the edges of said apertures provide surfaces adapted to engage lower portions of said bottleneck or the like.

5. A two-piece pouch-holding container adapted to be mounted upon a bottleneck or the like comprising a paperboard carton structure and a paperboard divider structure in which,

a. said carton structure includes six panels connected together to define a parallelepiped carton having a front wall, a rear wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and two end walls;

b. said bottom wall defining an aperture therein which is accommodative of the passage therethrough of the uppermost portions of said bottleneck or the like;

0. said divider structure being inserted in said carton and being formed from a blank comprising a glue flap, an apertured platform panel, a first partial divider wall panel, a bottom compartment wall, a sidewall panel, a top wall panel, a second sidewall panel, a second bottom wall panel, a full depth divider wall, a brace panel and a second partial divider wall which are consecutively articulated;

d. said platform panel defining an aperture therein in alignment with said aperture in said bottom wall and being of predetermined size and configuration to engage grippingly the uppermost portions of said bottleneck or the like; and

c. said divider wall panels forming interior compartment walls and being adapted to straddle said bottleneck or the like. 

1. A self-contained, removable two-piece pouch-holding package adapted to be mounted upon a bottleneck or the like comprising a paperboard carton structure and a paperboard divider structure in which, a. said carton structure includes six panels connected together to define a parallelpiped carton having a front wall, a rear wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and two end walls; b. said bottom wall defining an aperture therein which is accommodative of the passage therethrough of the uppermost portions of said bottle neck or the like; c. said divider structure being inserted in said carton and including at least two compartment bottom wall panels articulated to two divider wall panels, and a platform panel between said divider wall panels; d. said platform panel defining an aperture therein in alignment with said aperture in said bottom wall and being of predetermined size and configuration to engage grippingly the uppermost portions of said bottleneck or the like; and e. said divider wall panels forming interior compartment walls and being adapted to straddle said bottleneck or the like.
 2. The package of claim 1, in which a. said carton further includes a stabilization panel depending from one of its walls.
 3. The package of claim 2, in which a. said stabilization panel depends from said rear wall and is of generally tapered configuration.
 4. The package of claim 1, in which a. said divider wall panels and said compartment bottom wall panels define apertures at their junctures; and b. the edges of said apertures provide surfaces adapted to engage lower portions of said bottleneck or the like.
 5. A two-piece pouch-holding container adapted to be mounted upon a bottleneck or the like comprising a paperboard carton structure and a paperboard divider structure in which, a. said carton structure includes six panels connected together to define a parallelepiped carton having a front wall, a rear wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and two end walls; b. said bottom wall defining an aperture therein which is accommodative of the passage therethrough of the uppermost portions of said bottleneck or the like; c. said divider structure being inserted in said carton and being formed from a blank comprising a glue flap, an apertured platform panel, a first partial divider wall panel, a bottom compartment wall, a sidewall panel, a top wall panel, a second Sidewall panel, a second bottom wall panel, a full depth divider wall, a brace panel and a second partial divider wall which are consecutively articulated; d. said platform panel defining an aperture therein in alignment with said aperture in said bottom wall and being of predetermined size and configuration to engage grippingly the uppermost portions of said bottleneck or the like; and e. said divider wall panels forming interior compartment walls and being adapted to straddle said bottleneck or the like. 